This invention pertains to garment pressing systems having a rotatable carriage typically movable between dressing, pressing, and undressing positions. More particularly, the invention pertains to a drive mechanism for moving the carriage of such a system.
Rotary garment press drive systems are known in the prior art as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,203,359, 3,173,820 and 3,174,662. In each of these known prior art systems, a rotatable carriage supports numerous circumferentially spaced bucks. The carriages are rotated such that each buck sequentially passes through dressing, pressing, and undressing positions or work stations. In each of these known prior art systems, the carriages are rotated by means of a rotary electric motor and suitable gearing. Movement of carriages in these systems usually requires high input torque and therefore requires motors with high horsepower ratings. Furthermore, these motors must be precisely energized in order to assure that each buck will be properly aligned with the pressing plates used in the system which press the garment, typically a dress shirt, against a buck located at the pressing station.
In the above listed '820 patent, for example, a switch, mounted adjacent to the inside periphery of the carriage, includes a plunger that is movable into circumferentially spaced indentations in the carriage. Each time the plunger is received in one of the recesses, the actuating motor of the assembly is deenergized, thus bringing the bucks to rest at their respective processing stations. Following a prescribed period of time, the motor is again energized to rotate the carriage until the plunger is received into the next circumferentially spaced indentation. Although this arrangement aids in assuring proper alignment of the bucks at their respective stations, the electric drive motor must not only develop enough torque to rotate the carriage, but also must produce enough initial torque to dislodge the plunger from its respective indentation.
It is the object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages associated with the prior art as discussed above by accomplishing precise intermittent rotary movement of a carriage of a rotary garment press between its various operating positions through the use of a simple linearly reciprocating actuator motor which can readily supply the necessary torque to initiate and continue rotation of the carriage.
In addition, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a locking device for properly positioning the carriage at the end of each rotary movement such that each buck is properly positioned at its respective working station but which is disengaged prior to subsequent rotation of the carriage so that the linear actuator need not develop additional torque to overcome the engagement force of the locking device.
It is still further an object of the invention to drive the carriage of the garment press in intermittent, unidirectional fashion through the use of a single linearly reciprocating actuator connected to the carriage through a motion transfer system that converts the reciprocating motion of the actuator to unidirectional intermittent rotary motion of the carriage.
It is still another object of the invention to utilize a reciprocating piston fluid motor and control valves that are electrically controlled through a microprocessor system to precisely cause the rotary indexing movement of the carriage of the garment press in a smooth, uninterrupted manner. Another objective is to utilize the microprocessor for controlling operation of the motion transfer mechanism as well as the operation of the locking device.